10.15.2018

Rosehill Cemetery

Last year we toured Graceland Cemetery, so this year let me take you to one of Chicago's other well known cemeteries, Rosehill Cemetery. On the northwest side of Chicago you'll find 350 acres of lush green space that make up Rosehill Cemetery. Founded in 1859 it's actually the biggest cemetery inside the city limits of Chicago.Rosehill's Joliet-limestone entrance was designed by William W. Boyington. He was also the architect of the Chicago Water Tower. In 1975 the Rosehill Cemetery Administration Building and Entry Gate was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Pretty cool huh?

Since it's such a large cemetery you can only imagine all of the different Chicagoans that are buried here. You might recognize the gentleman's name above from previous posts about the Hull House Museum. Yup he was the gentleman who first owned the Hull House he was also a Chicago real estate tycoon.

What I was most excited to see at Rosehill Cemetery was the Civil War graves and memorials. There are about 350 Union soldiers buried here and three Confederate soldiers. Among the memorials is my favorite, the canon draped in the American flag that honors the Company "A" of the Chicago Light Artillery. Even though it's supposed to be the flag it has this spooky ghost in a sheet look to it.

The art you'll find through the gravestones in Rosehill Cemetery is amazing. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many different and unique types of stones. My favorites were the different stones that are shaped like animals. I especially was drawn to the deer below. There were two and they were just in the middle of the cemetery looking over the stones. Very serene.

It wouldn't be a cemetery without a creepy ghost story right? Above you'll see Frances Pearce and her infant daughter, Frances Pearce Stone. Frances Pearce was the second wife of Horatio Odell Stone. When she was only 20 she passed away and just four months later their young daughter Frances Pearce Stone died as well. Horatio had a monument created to honor his wife and child. It started out in Lincoln Park but found it's final resting place in Rosehill.

The glass was added it later and people started to notice weird things happen. Every year about the time of their death the box will fill with a mysterious mist. Almost like there is a ghost filling it up eh?

The Chicago Volunteer Firefighters Memorial was built in 1863 by Leonard Volk (pictured further up) who resides in Rosehill as well. When you get closer you can see hoses and fire hats that adorn the monument.

Not only is the cemetery itself the largest in Chicago but the mausoleum is the largest in the city too. It actually has two levels. Since Kevin wouldn't go in with me I didn't stay long. The hallways were so long and really kinda freaky when you're in there by yourself!

In the mausoleum you'll find a number of famous Chicagoans such as Aaron Montgomery Ward, Richard Warren Sears, and John G. Shedd. Supposedly Sears is pretty pissed at how close he is to War and haunts that part of the mausoleum! Throughout the building you'll find these small rooms that are almost like the free standing mausoleums you see throughout many cemeteries. These rooms tend to have ornate doors like the tree pictured below. I could even see stained glass in some and I read that some were even made by Tiffany!

If you want a little more detail about the cemetery be sure to check out one of the number of tours offered by different companies. There are tons of different types of tours for everyone from spooky to artistic.

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